Handover party at the power plant

We're handing over the power plant to the local group who are going to run it from now on. Great excuse for a party! (I mentioned this project in my LEARN3 and IMAGINE1 posts.) The second month of the year might not seem like the ideal time of year for partying, but we find ways to make merry.

Heat's one thing we're not short of. The church hall is close to the generator hall and it's heated from the district heating pipeline that runs from the spare heat off the gas turbine, like all the other buildings in the immediate area of the power plant. The church hall is well insulated by now - it's not a new building, but enough money was scraped together for an external render that makes up for the kind of construction that made sense fifty years ago in the oil boom.

Power's not a problem either, not for a power plant party! We have electrical points to plug in the sound system and my favourite Five Rhythms teacher is spinning up tunes for a good shake-out. I love dancing with all my friends and family in the local community. Everyone is here, babes-in-arms, toddlers, children, teenagers, adults and elders. The hall's set up as we often do it for this kind of party. There's an island and seating and cushions slightly back of the middle of the hall, where less mobile folks can feel fully part of the energy even if they need to sit or lie down. Towards the quieter end of the hall next to the food and drink buffet some half-circles of chairs and sofas provide lounging and chatting space as well, whilst the rest of the hall is filled with wild dancing.

Just before we start on the buffet there's a short ceremony to hand over the power plant to the new community management team. Most of them are not new at all, they have been involved with the project from its earliest planning stages! But this handover marks their full ownership of the project, on behalf of the local community here and everyone else on earth. The setup team are moving on to new projects, now this one is running so well.

Ceremony over, it's food and drink time. There's plenty to eat. Heated greenhouses surround this district - every spare bit of heat is helping grow wonderful fruit and veggies in the neighbourhood. We're not going to throw any heat away, in the winter half of the year. Purple sprouting broccoli, pine nuts and sesame seeds; cavolo nero with garlic and chilli ; quince, gorgonzola and chicory salad; crisp fennel and blood orange salad ; roast mutton loin; fluffy mashed potatoes; sea bream in banana leaf; roasted halibut with wilted lettuce and fenugreek broth; rhubarb crumble cake; spiced pears and peaches from the preserve pots. (ideas for seasonal food from here and here.)

Everyone's eaten and had good beverages to drink - after a breather we're back on the dance floor! My future self hasn't forgotten how to have fun. Work hard fixing world-scale problems? Party like you mean it.